Table 2.
Delivery methods of noncoding RNAs for cancer gene therapy
| Method | RNA species delivered | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-viral vectors | |||
| Naked delivery | miRNA, siRNA | No carriers needed | High dosage required |
| Lipid-based carriers | miRNA, siRNA | Robust, effective, and selective delivery | Sophisticated preparation needed |
| Polymersomes | siRNA | Robust, effective, and selective delivery | Sophisticated preparation needed |
| Cell-penetrating peptides | miRNA (e.g., pHLIP) | Effective and selective delivery | Expensive, sophisticated preparation |
| Inorganic nanoparticles | siRNA | Easy preparation | Limited efficiency, sometimes toxic |
| Viral vectors | miRNA, shRNA | Effective delivery, stable expression | Biosafety risk, immunogenic |
| Transgene | miRNA | Stable expression, non-immunogenic | Research purpose only |